Youngstown on the rise: Mug and Musket, The Jug reopen on Main Street

The holidays are
fast approaching and with perfect timing: The Village of Youngstown is slowly
but surely coming back to life.

Over past days,
two longtime and very popular Youngstown establishments - the Mug and
Musket Tavern and The Ontario House, aka The Jug - have both reopened - much to
delight of residents and visitors.

And not a moment
too soon.

Topping the list,
The Jug is again open and operating.

"Great news
everyone!! I picked up the liquor license this morning and we are a go for
tonight!" The Jug's Mike Costello posted on Facebook Thursday.

Costello acquired
the establishment earlier this summer from long-time owner Eddie Wojcik and,
over past months, has been busy with a number of renovations and improvements,
both at The Jug and in his 1842-era historical building.

"Let's kick off
the new era for The Jug the right way!" Costello said.

The news marks the
second major return of a local business on what had been an all-too-quiet Main
Street in the village.

Just last week,
the Mug and Musket secured its liquor license and returned with a series of
soft openings, tasty menu fare and limited bar offerings.

Mug and Musket is
holding a grand reopening this weekend. Friday night dinner specials with Bud
Mayer on the piano were set for last night. Tonight features Dave Thurman and
Friends with dinner and drink fare, while tomorrow is football Sunday, with
assorted food and drink specials.

This new
establishment is family-owned and -operated. Catherine and Michael Stella
acquired it from an ownership group that included Youngstown physician Dr.
Jerry Andres and his wife, Claudia.

Catherine most
recently served as manager of the Mug and Musket under the prior ownership.

Together for the
Stellas, along with their children, Lara and Grant, and friend, Max Waterstrat,
operating the Mug and Musket will be a family affair. The business will start
off with a total of nine working employees and is expected to add staff in the
future.

Catherine brings a restaurant hospitality background to the business, while
both chefs hail from the Niagara Falls Culinary Institute.

"I was the manger at the Hickory Stick Golf
Course prior to this for two years," Catherine said. Originally from the
LaSalle neighborhood in Niagara Falls, she is a LaSalle High School grad and
has 30 years experience in the restaurant industry.

"We moved down
here to the Youngstown area about 20 years ago to raise our family," she said.

What brought her
to Mug and Musket?

"I approached them after I had resigned my
position at the Hickory Stick Golf Course, then I saw they were going to be
opening here. ... I started, actually came in as a bartender, and grew into the
management position with them," she said.

Catherine said she
enjoyed her experience with the prior ownership group, pointing out she felt
they were dedicated. But she also said the bar/restaurant business can be very
demanding.

"Everyone had the
same intentions here, to preserve this location here in Youngstown; to bring it
back to the people of this area; to keep it local. I think that was really
their intention," she said of the former owners. "But I think getting busy with
all their lives, they didn't have the time. They had other issues, full-time
jobs; I think they soon found out this is more than a full-time job.

"It takes a lot of years, know-how; it takes a
lot of time, effort," Catherine said.

So what can
visitors expect with the new Mug and Musket?

How about new high-definition TV projectors, an updated dining room, and
some exciting changes to the menu, reflecting the talents of two chefs with a
culinary school background, to name a few?

"We've made it a more 'pubby menu' - a nice
fare of burgers and sandwiches. We have more of an in-house, homemade approach
to it," Catherine said. "We make the burgers in-house; the mac-n-cheese is to
order; we make our own dough in house for our pizza.

"We kind of grew
it into that, just to make it a nice pub menu - a variety of appetizers, nice
salads and daily specials. I guess, from this point, we're trying to add more
daily specials, to add to where it already was, to give people more variety."

"We got a lot of input from the public, for
certain things; we're trying to do that through the specials," she added.

Thus far,
reception from the community has been very good.

"It's been a good
beginning for the first week. We hope it continues," Catherine said.

She explained the family fully intends to continue what has made the Mug
and Musket popular in the community, with entertainment, community events, fine
foods and an enjoyable social atmosphere.

"Yes, I still plan
on doing the music, entertainment, not necessarily seven days a week, but I
plan on doing it at least Fridays, Saturdays, one of those days at least, or
special events. I'd like to continue that. We had a good reception on that.
People seem to have enjoyed it," Catherine said.

She has a catering
background, too, and, down the road she'd like to get into that area, as well.

As far as marketing, her husband, Mike, said they intend to reach out further
to the yachting community on both sides of the border, and also to the growing
tourist trade in the village from the fort and the local jet boat tour
operators.

Of the move to bring back the Mug and Musket, Mike said, "It's a family
thing. It is a hometown, family type of thing. We're part of the place. The
biggest reason we took it on is that we really didn't want to see the village
have an empty storefront. We think it's important. It's not good for the
village to have things that are dormant."

"It gives my son,
my daughter a chance to be involved," he added. "We want to do this, because we
are part of Youngstown. We feel like we're part of the fabric."

Mug and Musket
will be open Wednesday through Monday, with Thursday night, Sunday and Monday
night football. For now, it will be closed on Tuesdays.

"As we approach
the spring and summer, we'll probably be open seven days a week (for) lunches
and dinners," Catherine said.

"We're trying to
create (this) as a destination place for people," she added.

The Stella family invites you to stop by and check it out. They promise
you'll enjoy the experience.